Jazz Chants

I found an effective way to improve children's skills of English.

That is a Jazz Chants. They are the rhythmic expression of Standard American English as it occurs in situational contexts. Jazz Chants include in the book,"Jazz Chants", and record on the accompanying tape are designed as a language acquisition tool to develop the children's appreciation of the rhythm and intonation patterns of Spoken American English. Their purpose is the improvement of speaking and listening comprehension skills, and the natural rhythms and humor of the chants are highly motivating and may be used effectively for both classroom practice and individual home study.

I knew that Jazz Chants are used by Japanes teachers and ALT in Japanese elementary schools.
I want to investigate them more.

The importance of music and song in language learning

Last week, I read a book "MUSIC and SONG",Tim Murphey,1992.
The book said the importance of music and song in language learning.
1. It's easier to sing language than to speak it. (Although modern technology has universalized access to song, it could be that song actually preceded and aided the development of speech in homo sapiens(Livingstone 1973).)
2. Song appears to precede and aid the development of language in young children. ( A growing body of research indicates that the musical babbling produced by infants, and returned by parents, is extremely important in the development of language in young children.)
3. In our time, it is hard to escape music and song as it occupies ever more of the world around us.
4. 'The song stuck in my head' phenomenon seems to reinforce the idea that songs work on our short-and long-term memory. (the echoing in our minds of the last song we heard after living our car, a restaurant, etc, and which can be both enjoyable and sometimes unnerving)
5. The singing of songs resembles what Piaget describe as egocentric language , in which children talk, with little concern for an addressee. They simply enjoy hearing themselves repeat.



From the book, I thought that the activity of music and song have something to do with the rhythm and chants. I guess There are some common points of their effects.
1. Chants are more effective for young children.
2. Chants make it easier to remember English words and phrases in their mind in the long term.
3. Chants' activities increase their interest in English greatly.

My new research question

To what extent does the activity of English rhythm and chants help children's learning of words and phrases?

I think by using rhythm and chants, children get accustomed to how to say English words, phrases, and pronunciation. I want to research this question considering relationship between Engish rhythm and Japanese rhythm.

My Research Question

I have three research question in English education in elementary school.

1 how easy to memorize some English phrases and words using
rhythm and chants? (I want to make a questionnaire about rhythm and chants to some elementary school teachers.)
2 To what extent can children learn "communication skills" using Role-play in
English activity? (English activity in Japanese elementary school tend to make much of "Communication skills". I think it's the best way that Children learn the skills.)
3 Should English activity in elementary school be
introduced "Writing"? (Now, It seems that Japanese elementary schools don't practice some writing activities. I'm not good at writing English sentences, so I think writing activities should be practiced earlier than Junior high school. I want to know "Are there any elementary schools doing some writing activities?".)

I have not be able to decide one research question from among them yet. I want to select from 3 to 1 by reading a lot of books, and studying other materials.

Subject or not?

I read a book last week, the book's title is 「日本の小学校英語を考える」. This book is considered English education in Japanese elementary school from the points of other Asian country and area(Koria and Taiwan) . I was suprised because in Koria and Taiwan, differ from Japan, English education has been introduced as a subject in elementary school. I want to deliberate whether English education in Japanese elementary school should be change English activities in "SOUGOUTEKINA GAKUSYUNOJIKAN" into one subject fomally, as well as the two country and area.

My Goals in this year

Now, I have three goals in this year.
1. Pass the teacher's examination
2. Complete my research in English education .
3. make many memories

My Interest of English Education

I'm interesed in English activity with music and rythm in elementary school. I want to study how easy to memorize some English phrases and words using music and rythm. But I haven't research by any ways, so I hope I'll read many interesting books from now on.